Let’s say you want to do something. Something big. The natural question you’ll probably ask yourself is “how?” The problem with this question is that there’s rarely a single answer to this question. And if you’re looking for the right answer to “how”, you’ll probably never act.
You can get stuck on the “how” so much that you never actually do. That’s why I propose we ask ourselves “how” less, and instead simply act.
For instance, I want to show my wife I love her. Should I buy her a gift? Should I just tell her?
All of those thoughts are nice. Obviously I love my wife. But thinking about it hasn’t shown her anything. So instead, why don’t I buy my wife a gift. Did that make her feel loved? Not really? How about I tell her? Still not enough? Offer her a massage? Getting closer.
While yes, I asked many “hows” in there, I acted first. I tried first. And even though I didn’t hit the mark perfectly each time, I got closer and closer. I learned more about my wife and about myself.
Few endeavors in life are one-time shots. Breaking into a house, for instance, is probably a one-time shot. You definitely want to case the joint a lot before you act. But starting a business, showing your wife you love her, writing a book… Those are all endeavors that action enhances more than the right “how” does.
When I want to try something new, I simply try it. I don’t overthink it. The “how” comes along so easily once I get moving. But I believe too many people get stuck in the planning phase, and never make the launch into the doing phase.
Go. Do. Ask “how” along the way. But do first and foremost.